Idrottsläraryrkets strävan efter mål och status

Abstract in English

The Swedish school system has undergone a significant change and development during the last 180 years. The Physical Education Teacher Education (PETE) has made its own development journey, from training gymnastics directors with a particular focus on floor gymnastics and fencing, to becoming a university education with its foundation in sports science.

Despite the significant changes in the school’s governance and the development of PETE, the same development does not seem to have taken place for the professional practice of Physical Education (PE) teachers. The PE teachers seem to have difficulties formulating what the knowledge objective of the PE subject is. There also seem to be difficulties in formulating how learning in the PE subject should take place. A certain reproduction of traditional values takes place, and the PE teaching profession is described and experienced as marginalised.

Based on this, the dissertation’s aim is to create an understanding of the PE teachers’ pursuit of purpose and status and what that pursuit entails. To achieve this aim, two studies have been conducted. Based on the perspective that PE teachers function as street-level bureaucrats, the first study aims to understand what governs their professional practice and how they manage it. The aim of the second study is to understand which continuities exist in the language used about the PE teaching profession and what it means for the professional claims of the PE teaching profession.

By analysing the language within and about the PE teacher profession, the dissertation creates an understanding of PE teachers’ pursuit of purpose and status and what that pursuit entails. The thesis shows that PE teachers in their professional practice are Problem Solvers, Comfort Creators and Organisers. It further identifies continuities in the language about the PE teacher profession gathered within the themes of Strength, Liveliness and Status. Finally, the dissertation describes how the PE teacher profession uses social closure in its professional claim.